Achilles Tendon Recipe
The Achilles tendon is the strongest and largest tendon in the human body, connecting the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calf to the calcaneus (heel bone). It plays a critical role in movement by transmitting force from the calf muscles to the foot, enabling plantarflexion (pointing the foot downward), which is essential for activities like walking, running, and jumping.
Common Injuries & Conditions:
Achilles Tendinitis (Inflammation) – Overuse leads to pain, stiffness, and swelling. Managed with rest, ice, and eccentric exercises.
Achilles Tendinosis (Degeneration) – Chronic overuse causes thickening, nodules, and persistent pain. Strengthening and load management help recovery.
Achilles Rupture – Sudden, forceful push-off can cause a tear with a “pop” sensation. Requires surgery or immobilization.
Bursitis – Inflammation around the tendon from pressure or poor footwear, leading to localized swelling and pain.
Haglund’s Deformity – A bony heel bump that irritates the tendon, often worsened by tight shoes.
Typical treatments include rest and ice, stretching, massage, pain management through ibuprofen or naproxen, application of anti-inflammatory creams, orthotics, night shin splints, steroids, and even surgery. On FIS TV, we will continue with our holistic approach, using a gradual approach to strengthening this region. This is a long-term approach that will help you to reduce pain, improve range of motion, and actually strengthen foot muscles. The goal may be that you can get out of your orthotics and enjoy life again using the 5-Step Cycle of Muscle Maintenance.
Step 1. Activate | Joint Therapeutics: Isometric and single joint-specific therapy routines to target weak muscles and keep you moving pain free.
Step 2. Integrate | Yoga: Multi-joint isometric resistance training, targeting positional weakness to improve joint mobility and stability.
Step 3. Move | Pilates: Core-Focused Pilates calisthenics and fusion format resistance training with small equipment.
Step 4. Amplify | Strength Training: Workouts with an emphasis on strength training for muscle development using various resistance tools.
Step 5. Optimize | Fitness Fusion: Muscle strength and conditioning fusion workouts with free weights and bands combined with Stability Ball, Barre, and HIIT training.
You can stay on any week for as long as you like! Each week is a step of the muscle maintenance system. Practice at least one video a day for 3-5 days each week. When you are ready to move to the next step, feel free to jump into the week before if your system gets stressed. Think of this as a long-term solution as you work to resolve your issue and keep it at bay for your life!
5-Step Cycle Schedule:
1-3 weeks
Step 1: Activate
1. Video 471 | Isometric Hip Boost: Rotation (15 minutes)
2. Video 585 | Hip Flexion: Micro Workout (9 minutes)
3. Video 508 | Hip and Knee Extension Boost (15 mins)
3-6 weeks
Step 2 Integrate
1. Video 349 | Isometric Foot Boost (15 Minutes)
2. Video 426 | Isometric Ankle Boost (15 Minutes)
3. Video 468 | Achilles Tendon Therapy (30 minutes)
6-8 weeks
Step 3: Move
1. Video 301 | C.P.I. Foot Therapy (30 Minute Routine)
2. Video 377 | Improve Your Balance (15 Minutes)
3. Video 573 | Building Glutes: Micro Workout (10 mins)
9-12 Weeks
Step 4: Amplify
1. Video 470 | Achilles Tendon Therapy II (30 minutes)
2. Video 417 | Holistic Foot and Ankle Workout (30 minutes)
3. Video 376 | Foot and Foundations (30 minutes)
3-12 months
Step 5: Optimize
1. Video 472 | Achilles Tendon Therapy III
2. Video 319 | FIS Lower Leg and Foot (30 minutes)
3. Video 641 | Ball-Barre Fusion (45 minutes)
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Video 471 | Isometric Hip Boost: Rotation (15 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
This isometric routine is designed to target rotation of the hips
If you need a quick boost, this 15-minute bodyweight routine will help you strengthen muscles that cross the hip to perform internal and external rotation, such as the gluteals, piriformis, superior and inferior gemelli, obturato...
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Video 585 | Hip Flexion: Micro Workout (9 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
If you are short on time, this micro workout is designed to give you some targeted resistance training for a very important area: The muscles that produce flexion through the hip joints. When these muscles are weak, lower back and hamstring tightness can result.
In this workout, go from non-movi...
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Video 508 | Hip and Knee Extension Boost (15 mins) with Lauren Eirk
If you need a quick boost, this 15-minute bodyweight workout will help you to strengthen the hip and knee extensor muscles using the resistance coming from bodyweight, a thigh band, and a sponge ball. Weakness in these areas can cause low back tightness and knee instability, as these muscles figh...
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Video 349 | Isometric Foot Boost (15 Minutes) with Lauren Eirk
If you need a quick boost, this 15-minute bodyweight workout will help strengthen muscles that move and stabilize the many joints of the foot and toes. Much of this video is done from a chair using bodyweight only.
Weakness in these areas can affect our overall gait and have a great influence...
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Video 426 | Isometric Ankle Boost (15 Minutes) with Lauren Eirk
If you need a quick boost, this 15-minute bodyweight workout will help strengthen muscles that move and stabilize the ankle joint (talorcrural) in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. No equipment is needed for this workout except for a chair in a few of the standing exercises.
Weakness in these...
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Video 468 | Achilles Tendon Therapy (30 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
This protocol is intended as a guide to help anyone at zero-six week in dealing with post-operative Achilles tendon repair or achilles injury. These exercises can also help with achilles tendonitis and as a preventative measure for achilles health. This routine is based on the individual's own ...
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Video 301 | C.P.I. Foot Therapy (30 Minute Routine) with Lauren Eirk
If you are suffering with Chronic pain in the foot due to arthritis, improper shoes, long periods of standing, and other neurological issues, these exercises can be an answer. Practice various seated and standing mobility exercises to improve foot and ankle strength in all available planes of mot...
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Video 377 | Improve Your Balance (15 Minutes) with Lauren EIrk
In our daily life, we may not always be able to predict how the external environment will challenge our body. Our muscles need to be able to contract accordingly to create muscle contractions to maintain joint stability.
In this video, strengthen the foot, ankle, knees, and hips to improve mus...
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Video 573 | Building Glutes: Micro Workout (10 mins) with Lauren Eirk
If you are short on time, this micro workout is designed to give you some targeted resistance training for a very important area: The Gluteal muscles. In this workout, we will practice variations on the glute bridge to target the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. You will feel stronger, talle...
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Video 470 | Achilles Tendon Therapy II (30 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
This protocol is intended as a guide to help anyone currently in the recovery period of six to twelve weeks from post-operative Achilles tendon repair or achilles injury. These exercises can also help with achilles tendonitis and as a preventative measure for achilles health. This routine is ba...
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Video 417 | Holistic Foot and Ankle Workout (30 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
The foot is the foundation and is influenced by other joints in the body as well as the floor. The foot, ankle and lower leg adapt to the ground by pronating and supinating, causing the knee, hip, spine, and shoulder to take on similar motions.
In this therapeutic strength routine, we will look...
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Video 376 | Foot and Foundations (30 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
This workout starts with several intrinsic foot exercises to strengthen the bottom of the feet. Next, transition into some of the major muscles of the lower leg, working on plantar flexors and dorsiflexors using a chair.
As we take an integrated approach to strengthening the feet, we will be ...
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Video 472 | Achilles Tendon Therapy III (30 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
This protocol is intended as a guide to help anyone currently in the recovery period of three to six months from post-operative Achilles tendon repair or achilles injury. These exercises can also help with achilles tendonitis and as a preventative measure for achilles health. This routine is ba...
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Video 319 | FIS Lower Leg and Foot (30 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
The foot is truly the foundation of all movement. In this therapeutic routine, experience standing and seated exercises for the lower leg and foot. You will need a chair for seated exercises and to be able to focus on the feet in standing balance work. A circular band will be used to add resis...
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Video 641 | Ball-Barre Fusion (45 minutes) with Lauren Eirk
This stability ball workout uses a slow progression and a support to assist with balance so that you get more from your muscles. We begin with a bodyweight core training segment using the stability ball. Next, experience some classic barre exercises for the hips, thighs, glutes, ankles and fee...
